For years, Anita Annet Among appeared politically untouchable.
She rose from a relatively unknown legislator from Bukedea District to become one of the most powerful figures in Uganda’s political system; a Speaker of Parliament whose influence stretched far beyond the parliamentary chamber, into ruling party structures, State House networks, district politics and national patronage systems.
At the height of her power, analysts described her as more politically influential than many cabinet ministers and senior government officials. Now, that rise has hit its most serious crisis yet.
Among has abandoned her bid for re- election as Speaker of the 12th Parliament amid mounting corruption and money laundering investigations that have dramatically altered Uganda’s political landscape and raised fresh questions about accountability, patronage and the limits of political protection within President Yoweri Museveni’s system.
Her withdrawal marks a sharp reversal for a politician who, until recently, seemed to embody the new face of power inside Uganda’s ruling establishment. Among’s political journey was built on a combination of ambition, strategic alliances, populist outreach and unusually strong access to the country’s power centres.
When she first entered Parliament in 2016 as Bukedea Woman MP, colleagues quickly noticed her growing influence. Though a first-term legislator, she already commanded attention and access that many veteran politicians struggled to obtain.
Political insiders described her as both a “go-getter” and a “political merchant,” someone capable of navigating opposition politics, business interests and State House connections simultaneously.
Her rise accelerated after she became deputy speaker and later Speaker following the death of Jacob Oulanyah in 2022. Once in office, Among transformed the Speakership into something far more politically expansive than her predecessors had attempted.
She travelled extensively across the country, intervened in labour disputes, funded community projects and positioned Parliament as a centre for resolving public grievances. Supporters praised her for acting where government ministries often appeared slow or ineffective.
“This is a people-centred Parliament that handles every grievance from across the country to the satisfaction of citizens,” Among once declared after helping mediate disputes involving teachers and local government workers.
In Bukedea, her home district, she cultivated near-celebrity political status. Roads, schools, a teaching hospital, scholarships and philanthropic projects strengthened her image as a leader who delivered tangible results.
Her growing influence was also backed by institutional power. Under her leadership, Parliament’s budget reportedly expanded significantly, increasing her control over resources and political mobilisation networks.
She simultaneously climbed within the ruling National Resistance Movement hierarchy, eventually becoming the party’s second national vice chairperson for women, replacing longtime political heavyweight Rebecca Kadaga.
But even during her rise, controversy followed closely behind. Questions repeatedly surfaced about her political financing, her powerful business connections and the increasingly blurred line between philanthropy, patronage and political influence.
Her relationship with businessman Hassan Basajjabalaba attracted scrutiny years earlier during parliamentary investigations into the controversial UBC land saga. Critics questioned whether her closeness to influential figures compromised parliamentary oversight processes, accusations she strongly rejected at the time.
Then came the scandals that would fundamentally reshape her political fortunes. In April 2024, the United Kingdom sanctioned Among under its Global Anti-Corruption Regime over allegations linked to the diversion of iron sheets intended for vulnerable communities in Karamoja.
The United States followed with its own sanctions, accusing her of “significant corruption.” Among denied wrongdoing, arguing the sanctions were politically motivated and connected to her support for Uganda’s Anti- Homosexuality Act, legislation that drew widespread criticism from Western governments but strengthened her support among conservative political constituencies at home.
Even then, many observers believed her domestic political standing remained secure. President Museveni publicly defended her against critics, dismissing some opponents as people “working for foreigners.”
But the current investigations appear to have shifted the political equation more dramatically than previous controversies. Money laundering allegations carry particularly serious implications because they move beyond political controversy into questions about financial systems, illicit wealth flows and criminal liability.
Such investigations also tend to attract broader international scrutiny, especially when linked to politically exposed persons. The developments have now forced Among to abandon her attempt to retain the Speakership of the 12th Parliament, an outcome that would have seemed politically unimaginable just a short time ago.
“I wish to categorically and unequivocally state that I will not be offering myself for the Speakership race of the 12th Parliament,” Among said, in an X post on May 17, after what she described as “wide consultations and deep introspection.”
She added: “I pledge to continue cooperating with all ongoing investigations as initiated by the relevant organs of the state to get to the root of all the allegations raised.”
Her political fall illustrates the fragile nature of power inside Uganda’s highly centralised political system. For years, Among appeared to represent a new generation of political actors capable of building independent influence within Museveni’s long-ruling establishment.
Analysts frequently compared her trajectory to former powerful insiders such as Gilbert Bukenya, Amama Mbabazi and Rebecca Kadaga, figures who once seemed politically indispensable before eventually losing influence.
“The question,” political analyst Turyafuna Derrick observed in the past, “is whether Among’s ascent is sanctioned or self-engineered, and how long the system will tolerate her autonomy.”
That question now sits at the centre of Uganda’s political conversation. Her supporters argue that she became a victim of political rivalries and international pressure targeting influential Ugandan leaders.
Critics say her troubles reflect long-standing concerns about corruption, patronage politics and weak accountability within state institutions. For ordinary Ugandans, the significance extends beyond one politician’s fortunes.
The controversy has reignited broader debates about how political power operates in Uganda: how leaders accumulate influence, how public resources are managed, and whether anti-corruption systems function equally for all political actors. It also exposes the tension between populist politics and institutional accountability.
Among built much of her appeal through visibility, philanthropy and direct intervention in public problems. To many supporters, those actions represented practical leadership in a political environment where citizens often feel abandoned by formal institutions.
What happens next will depend largely on the direction of the investigations and how Uganda’s political establishment responds.
The Speakership itself now enters a new phase with Oboth Marksons Oboth, member of Parliament for West Budama Central, becoming the preferred candidate for the ruling NRM.
Additional reporting by Geofrey Serugo.